Rail grinder



`Ian. l5, 1935. Q H PECK RAIL @BINDER Filed Sept. 24, 1952 f il Fl .-f

un` r INVENToR. -C' dJZPeck BY l HIS ATTORNEYl Patented Jan. 15, 1935 UNITEDv STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,938,138 RAIL GRINDER Application September 24, 1932, Serial No. 634,676

6 Claims.

This invention relates to grinders, and more particularly to portable grinders adapted to be actuated along the surfaces of a rail head and similar articles.

One object of the invention is to redress the surfaces of rails or such portions thereof as may become marred or damaged by the action of the car wheel thereagainst.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawing accompanying this specication and in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, i

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, of a 4grinder constructed in accordance with the practice of the invention and showing it mounted upon a rail head for grinding the surfaces thereof,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the grinder showing it seated upon a rail, and

' Figure 3 is an end elevation of the grinder partly broken away.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, A

designates, in general, a grinder and B a rail upon the tread of which the grinder is seated to grind the sides C of the rail head D against which the car wheel flanges bear. v The grinder A, constructed in accordance with the practice of the invention, comprises a casing E which supports at one end a motor F. The motor may be of any wellknown type, as for instance a pressure actuated vane motor, of which the shaft G extends through the casing E. On the shaft is a grinding wheel H whose axis and that of the shaft G lies in a plane perpendicular to that of the surface C intended to be ground.

In such cases as where the side surfaces C of the rail head D are slightly inclined with respect to the Vertical to conform to the inclination of the 40 car wheel ilanges the grinder A, in its operative position, assumes a position wherein the axes of the shaft and the grinding wheel H incline in corresponding degree-with respect to the horizontal.

In the structure disclosed the shaft G is provided with an anti-friction bearing J seated in the end of the casing E adjacent the grinding wheel H. The upper `race K of the bearing J is clamped in position in the casing E by a nut L threaded into the end of the casing, and the inner race O of the bearing J is clamped against a shoulder P on the shaft G by a sleeve Q threaded to the shaft G. The outer end of the sleeve Q may, therefore, serve as an abutment for the grinding wheel H or, as in the present instance, for a plate R against which the grinding wheel seats.

(citi- 178) On the outer end of the shaft G is another plate R which seats against the grinding wheel H, land the plates R and the grinding wheel are clamped Xedly to the shaft G by a nut S threaded on the shaft.

As is customary in devices of this character, a guard T forming a part of the casing E is disposed about the grinding wheel H. The guard 'I' is open at both ends and its inner edge U is slightly offset with respect to the corresponding edge of the grinding wheel H to avoid Contact of the guard with the surface C during the grinding thereof.

In order to avoid subjecting the grinding wheel to the entire weight of such pressure as may be applied for pressing it against the rail, the grinder is provided with a pair of rollers V which bear against the surface upon whichv the grinding wheel acts. The rollers V may, as shown, be disposed forwardiy and rearwardly of the grinding wheel H and are mounted rotatably on shafts W seated in lugs X which may be integral parts. of the guard T.

As apreferredform of construction the casing E consists of two parts Y and Z, the part Y being that wherein the bearing J is arranged and serves mainly as a support for the motor and the grinding wheel. The part Z is that which includes the guard T and, in order to secure the part Z -to the part Y, the guard is provided with a bearing portion b which seats upon the casing part Y and has a semi-circular bore c to conform with the surface of the part Y.

A half bearing section d bored to seat against the part Y is secured to the bearing portion b by bolts e extending through the two. The bolts also serve to clamp the bearing portions to the casing part Y. By thus clamping the guard to the casing part Y the said guard may be shifted longitudinaliy of the grinding wheel to assure the correct position of the rollers V with respect to the grinding surface of the wheel H.

In order to enable the grinder to be conveniently propelled along the head of the rail the said grinder is provided with rollers f which seat upon the tread of the rail B. The rollers f may be of the same type as the rollers V and are supported by brackets g secured to the casing part Z by bolts h. The means whereby the grinder may be propelled along the rail consists, in the present instance, of a handle in the form of a rod 7' which is threaded at one end into a boss lc on the guard T. At the other end of the handle is a cross-bar o the opposite ends of which may be grasped by the operator to move the grinder to and fro along the rail B.

To the end that a pressure suitable to maintain the grinding face of the wheel H in the correct grinding relationship with the surface being ground may be applied to the grinder, the said grinder is provided with a clamping device cornprising a yoke p which is pivotally mounted upon pins q threaded into a casing part, as for instance lugs r which may be integral portions of the brackets g. The yoke p, which overlies the casing part Y, is arranged between the grinding wheel and the motor and carries at its ends depending arms s disposed angularly with respect to the yoke.

Threaded into the free ends of the arms s are pins t to serve as shafts for the rollers u which, in the operative position of the grinder, seat against the surface of the rail opposed to that being ground.

On the upper surface of the yoke p is a lug v having an aperture w for the accommodation of the end of a rod :z: whereby the yoke p may be rocked. The rod a' preferably extends upwardly along the handle :i and is pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of a lever y pivoted to the rod :r and lying adjacent one of the ends of the cross-bar o.

The operation of the device is as follows: With the grinder disposed upon the tread of the rail B so that the grinding wheel H lies on one side of the head of the rail and the rollers u on the opposite side, the motor F may be set in operation to rotate the grinding wheel upon the surface C. The grinder may then be bodily propelled to and fro along the rail by applying pressure to the cross-bar o until the beaded or peined portion of the rail has been removed.

While thus propelling the grinder pressure may be applied to the rollers u through the instrumentality of the lever y which, if pulled in the direction of the cross-bar o, will rock the yoke portion in the direction of the motor and cause the rollers u and the grinding wheel H to press against the head of the rail.

I claim:

1. A grinder for rails having opposed surfaces, comprising a grinding wheel, means for driving the grinding wheel, adjustable guide means to engage the surfaces to retain the grinding wheel in the correct operative relationship with one of the surfaces, and being shiftable with the grinding wheel along the rail during the grinding thereof, and means for effecting adjustment of the grinding means in accordance with variations in distances between the surfaces.

2. A grinder for rails having opposed surfaces, comprising a casing, a grinding wheel, a motor for driving the grinding Wheel, guide means arranged in fixed position on the casing to engage one of the surfaces, and guide means to engage another surface of the rail being ground and being adjustable laterally with respect to the first said guide means to maintain both guide means in engagement with the surfaces irrespective of variations in distance between the surfaces, said guide means being movable with the casing along the rail during the grinding thereof.

3. A grinder for rails having opposed surfaces, comprising a casing, a grinding wheel seating against one of the surfaces to grind said surface, a motor for driving the grinding wheel, guide rollers arranged in fixed position on the casing to seat against the surface being ground, and guide rollers adjustably mounted on the casing and seating against another surface to retain the grinding wheel and the first mentioned rollers in engagement with the surface intended to be ground.

4. A grinder for rails having opposed surfaces, comprising a casing, a grinding Wheel seating against one surface to grind said surface, a motor for driving the grinding Wheel, guide rollers on the casing disposed on opposite sides of the grinding wheel and seating against the surface being ground, a yoke pivotally connected to the casing, rollers carried by the yoke, and means for rocking the yoke to press the last mentioned rollers against another surface for maintaining the grinding Wheel in operative relationship with the surface intended to be ground.

5. A grinder for rails having opposed surfaces, comprising a casing, a grinding wheel seating against a surface to grind said surface, means for driving the grinding wheel, guide rollers on the casing seating against one surface, a yoke pivotally connected to the casing, guide rollers carried by the yoke, a handle on the casing for moving the grinder along a rail, and means supported by the handle and being connected to the yoke to press the guide rollers against the surfaces, thereby retaining the grinding Wheel in operative relationship with the surface being ground.

6. A grinder for rails having opposed surfaces, comprising a casing, rollers on the casing to seat upon a rail, a grinding wheel for grinding the surfaces, a motor for rotating the grinding Wheel,

guide rollers on the casing seating against one surface, a yoke pivotally connected to the casing, guide rollers carried by the yoke to seat against another surface, a handle for moving the grinder along a rail, a rod on the yoke, and a lever pivotally connected to the handle and the rod for rocking the lever to press the guide rollers against the surfaces, thereby retaining the grinding Wheel in operative relationship with a surface being ground.

CAID H. PECK. 

